NASCAR has used various point systems since 1949 to determine the series champion, as well as the other top finishers.
The current point system, adopted in 1975, gives points to every driver in the field, provided they entered the race prior to the entry deadline.
The same point system is used for every race, regardless of distance or type of track.

Year	Driver	Owner	C. Chief	Make	Wins	Earnings
2001	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Robbie Loomis	Chevrolet	6	$6,649,080
2000	Bobby Labonte	Joe Gibbs	Jimmy Makar	Pontiac	4	$4,041,750
1999	Dale Jarrett	Robert Yates	Todd Parrott	Ford	4	$3,608,829
1998	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Ray Evernham	Chevrolet	13	$6,175,867
1997	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Ray Evernham	Chevrolet	10	$4,201,227
1996	Terry Labonte	Rick Hendrick	Gary DeHart	Chevrolet	2	$4,030,648
1995	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Ray Evernham	Chevrolet	7	$2,430,480
1994	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Andy Petree	Chevrolet	4	$3,400,733
1993	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Andy Petree	Chevrolet	6	$3,353,789
1992	Alan Kulwicki	Alan Kulwicki	Paul Andrews	Ford	2	$2,322,561
1991	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Kirk Shelmerdine	Chevrolet	4	$2,396,685
1990	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Kirk Shelmerdine	Chevrolet	9	$3,083,056
1989	Rusty Wallace	Raymond Beadle	Barry Dodson	Pontiac	6	$2,247,950
1988	Bill Elliott	Harry Melling	Ernie Elliott	Ford	6	$1,574,639
1987	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Kirk Shelmerdine	Chevrolet	11	$2,099,243
1986	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress	Kirk Shelmerdine	Chevrolet	5	$1,783,880
1985	Darrell Waltrip	Junior Johnson	Jeff Hammond	Chevrolet	3	$1,318,735
1984	Terry Labonte	Billy Hagan	Dale Inman	Chevrolet	2	$713,010
1983	Bobby Allison	Bill Gardner	Gary Nelson	Buick	6	$828,355
1982	Darrell Waltrip	Junior Johnson	Jeff Hammond	Buick	12	$873,118
1981	Darrell Waltrip	Junior Johnson	Tim Brewer	Buick	12	$588,926
1980	Dale Earnhardt	Rod Osterlund	Doug Richert	Chevrolet	5	$588,926
1979	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Chevrolet	5	$588,926
1978	Cale Yarborough	Junior Johnson	Tim Brewer	Oldsmobile	10	$530,751
1977	Cale Yarborough	Junior Johnson	Herb Nab	Chevrolet	9	$387,173
1976	Cale Yarborough	Junior Johnson	Herb Nab	Chevrolet	9	$387,173
1975	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Plymouth	13	$378,865
1974	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Plymouth	10	$299,175
1973	Benny Parsons	L.G. DeWitt	Travis Carter	Chevrolet	1	$114,345
1972	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Plymouth	8	$227,015
1971	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Plymouth	21	$309,225
1970	Bobby Isaac	Nord Krauskopf	Harry Hyde	Dodge	11	$121,470
1969	David Pearson	Holman-Moody	Jake Elder	Ford	11	$183,700
1968	David Pearson	Holman-Moody	Jake Elder	Ford	16	$118,842
1967	Richard Petty	Dale Inman	Dale Inman	Plymouth	27	$130,275
1966	David Pearson	Cotton Owens	Cotton Owens	Dodge	14	$59,205
1965	Ned Jarrett	Bondy Long	John Ervin	Ford	13	$77,966
1964	Richard Petty	Richard L Petty	Dale Inman	Plymouth	9	$98,810
1963	Joe Weatherly	Bud Moore	Bud Moore	Pontiac	3	$58,110
1962	Joe Weatherly	Bud Moore	Bud Moore	Pontiac	9	$56,110
1961	Ned Jarrett	W.G. Holloway Jr.	Bud Allman	Chevrolet	1	$27,285
1960	Rex White	White-Clements	Louis Clements	Chevrolet	6	$45,260
1959	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Plymouth	10	$45,570
1958	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Oldsmobile	7	$20,600
1957	Buck Baker	Buck Baker	Bud Moore	Chevrolet	10	$24,712
1956	Buck Baker	Carl Kiekhaefer	Carl Kiekhafer	Chrysler	14	$29,790
1955	Tim Flock	Carl Kiekhaefer	Carl Kiekhafer	Chrysler	18	$33,750
1954	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Lee Petty	Chrysler	7	$26,706
1953	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	Smokey Yunick	Hudson	11	$27,300
1952	Tim Flock	Ted Chester	B. B. Blackburn	Hudson	8	$20,210
1951	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	Smokey Yunick	Hudson	7	$18,200
1950	Bill Rexford	Juilan Buesink	Julian Buesink	Oldsmobile	1	$6,175
1949	Red Byron	Raymond Parks	Red Vogt	Oldsmobile	2	$5,800